1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to input devices in general, and particularly to an electronic apparatus provided with a push button for receiving a depressing operation.
2. Description of Related Art
An electronic apparatus such as a laptop personal computer (laptop PC), a tablet personal computer (tablet PC) or the like generally has a configuration in which a push button for receiving a depressing operation is provided in the side part of the electronic apparatus where an electronic board for a touch pad, a keyboard device, a display device are provided.
For example, a laptop PC that has a touch pad and a pointing stick used as a substitute for a mouse and is provided with push buttons on the front and rear side of the touch pad, where the push buttons serve as click operation buttons (mouse buttons) corresponding to the left and right mouse buttons by being used in combination with the touch pad and the pointing stick.
Conventionally, the push button generally has a configuration in which the push button is supported so as to be vertically movable by a supporting member having a pantograph structure, a rubber dome, or the like provided on the underside of the operation surface of the push button and a depressing operation is detected by a detection switch provided thereunder. Therefore, a large number of parts are required for vertically moving the push button and detecting the vertical movement thereof; thereby increasing cost, reducing manufacturing efficiency, and further leading to a barrier to reduction in thickness of the chassis of a laptop PC. Moreover, in the configuration in which a push button is provided in combination in the side part of a touch pad, it is necessary to connect a distribution cable from a detection switch provided under the push button to an electronic board for the touch pad, which makes it more difficult cost and thickness reduction.